Dead Island 3 is officially in development at Dambuster Studios, which currently employs 194 individuals. The anticipated release window for the game is projected for the first half of 2028.
Performance issues are affecting many players of Monster Hunter Wilds on PC, which is the game's largest sales platform. Capcom reported that Monster Hunter Rise has surpassed Wilds in sales rankings, with Wilds dropping from 10 million to under 500,000 copies sold in three months, now at 477,000 copies, while Rise has sold 389,000. Wilds has received negative reviews on Steam, currently holding a "Mostly Negative" label with 48% positive ratings. Capcom is working on CPU and GPU optimizations to address these performance issues. Despite Wilds having a larger active player base on Steam, the sales figures show a decline, and if optimizations do not improve the situation, Wilds may face further challenges. The lead producer of Monster Hunter acknowledges the growing engagement of PC gamers with Japanese games.
Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, stated that the game has been performing well on both PS5 and PC, despite previous underwhelming sales figures reported by Square Enix. The internal report from May 2024 indicated that FFVII Rebirth is set to launch on PC in January 2025, following its console release. Square Enix has faced challenges with timed console exclusivity and acknowledged past missteps, such as the delayed PC release of FF7 Remake. The company plans to pursue a new strategy to engage the PC gaming community, potentially launching the next installment, tentatively titled Final Fantasy 7: Revengeance, simultaneously on PC and PS5 or PS6.
Ubisoft's annual financial report, filed on June 19, emphasizes post-purchase monetization in its games and outlines the company's commitment to monetization policies that respect player experience. The report states that the "golden rule" for premium games is to allow players to enjoy the full experience without additional costs, while also claiming that monetization options enhance the gaming experience through personalization and progress acceleration. There is a notable distinction between microtransactions in free-to-play games and those in premium titles, with gamers expecting substantial content rather than superficial enhancements after already investing upfront. Ubisoft's attempt to distance itself from the "pay to win" model is met with skepticism, as many view microtransactions as a necessary evil rather than enjoyable features.
Capcom's financial report indicates a significant shift towards PC gaming, with Steam contributing 31% of the company's total revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31, representing a 38% increase from the previous year. Sales on Steam generated 52.7 billion yen (approximately .4 million), up from million the prior year. The share of revenue from Steam rose from 21% to over one-third, surpassing PlayStation's revenue, which was 10.5% the year before. Capcom sold 51 million games in the last fiscal year, with 28 million being digital PC games. The company expects console revenue to exceed PC earnings by 2027, but anticipates most revenue will come from mobile and digital PC game sales. Upcoming titles include Resident Evil Requiem, set for release on February 27, 2026, along with Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Pragmata.
Ubisoft reported a revenue of €1.9 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2025, a 17.5% decrease from the previous year. Net bookings fell by 20.5% to €1.84 billion, while net bookings from the back catalogue dropped 13.5% to €1.3 billion. Despite these declines, the company generated positive free cash flow and completed its initial cost savings program ahead of schedule, with plans for an additional €100 million in savings over the next two years. The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows was highlighted as a significant event for the company.
The PC port of Stellar Blade is set to launch on June 11, available through the Epic Games Store and Steam. It will feature support for DLSS 4 and FSR 3, ultrawide monitor compatibility, higher resolution textures, and an unlocked frame rate. The PC version will also include a new boss fight with the cyber warrior Mann and 25 new costumes for the protagonist, Eve, along with additional content from the console version like a photo mode and the Nier Automata DLC. The developer, Shift Up, expects the PC version to outperform the PS5 version due to the larger market share of PC gaming in the AAA sector. The PS5 version has received upgrades, including enhanced image quality through the PSSR upscaler.
WB Games experienced a 48% decline in gaming revenue for the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to the lack of new game releases compared to the previous year. The disappointing performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which resulted in a [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: WB Games finds itself navigating turbulent waters, as a recent financial report reveals a staggering 48% decline in gaming revenue for the first quarter of 2025. Although the report does not dedicate a section solely to gaming, it highlights the significant impact of recent game releases on the company's bottom line.
Revenue Decline and Impairment
The report attributes this sharp revenue drop primarily to the absence of new game releases in the current quarter, especially when compared to the previous year’s launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. This title, which has been a topic of discussion since its release, has not only failed to meet expectations but also contributed to a staggering loss of 0 million for Warner Bros back in June 2024. The game’s final update was rolled out in January of this year, suggesting that the financial repercussions may have continued to ripple through the company.
Despite the challenges, the previous year saw over 22 million copies of Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1 sold, which injected substantial revenue into Warner Bros. However, even with such successes, the current decline in revenue is stark. The report notes that the company’s expenses related to gaming content have plummeted by 66%, a reduction attributed to the impairment linked to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and lower revenue in the current quarter.
Corporate Decisions and Studio Closures
This drop in expenses raises eyebrows, particularly as it coincides with the closure of several studios, including Monolith, Player First Games, and WB San Diego, along with the cancellation of a much-anticipated Wonder Woman game. While the report presents this information in a clinical manner, the implications are clear: the company is tightening its belt in response to a poorly performing title.
The language used to describe these events is notably sanitized, yet it hints at a dismal sentiment surrounding the failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It’s reminiscent of a dramatic court scene where a noble drops their goblet in shock at the audacity of a courtier's remarks. The fallout from this situation has not only affected the financial landscape but has also led to layoffs and the resignation of the head of WB Games, underscoring the tumultuous environment within the gaming industry.
As the dust settles, the focus shifts to the leadership decisions that led to the creation of this ill-fated game, rather than placing blame on the developers who were tasked with bringing it to life. The current state of affairs serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges facing companies in the gaming sector." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"] million loss for Warner Bros in June 2024, contributed significantly to this decline. The company's gaming content expenses dropped by 66%, linked to the impairment from the failed title and lower revenue. Several studios, including Monolith, Player First Games, and WB San Diego, were closed, and a Wonder Woman game was canceled. The situation has led to layoffs and the resignation of the head of WB Games.
Warner Bros reported a 48% decline in revenue in its games division for the quarter ending March 31st, attributed to the underperformance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and the lack of new titles in the first quarter of 2025. Existing titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1 provided some revenue support. The company achieved a 66% reduction in overhead costs year-on-year but still faced a 53% drop in revenue for 2024. Warner Bros has closed three studios, including Monolith, and the head of interactive entertainment, David Haddad, departed in early 2025.
